Leaders of UK, France, Germany, and Italy Hold Talks with Trump
Discuss Ceasefire in Russia-Ukraine War and Additional Sanctions on Russia
Putin Continues Airstrikes on Ukraine Ahead of Scheduled Call with Trump
On the 18th (local time), a doll was found lying in the ruins near Kyiv, Ukraine, following a drone strike by Russia. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
On the 19th (local time), ahead of a scheduled phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the leaders of major European countries held phone conversations with President Trump to discuss issues related to the war in Ukraine. In contrast, President Putin continued airstrikes despite pressure from U.S. and European leaders.
On the 18th, Reuters, citing the British Prime Minister's Office, reported that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke with President Trump that day. According to a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, the leaders discussed the need for an unconditional ceasefire, as well as the possibility of imposing additional sanctions if Russia does not approach the ceasefire and peace talks with sincerity.
The conversations among the leaders took place as the U.S. and European leaders were pressuring Russia to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. President Trump is scheduled to hold consecutive phone calls with President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the 19th.
President Macron, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that day, urged, "Tomorrow, President Putin must show that he wants peace by accepting the 30-day unconditional ceasefire proposed by President Trump and supported by Ukraine and Europe."
Previously, on the 17th, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who had a separate phone call with President Trump, said that President Trump was beginning to lose patience with President Putin's 'delaying tactics.'
According to the British daily The Guardian, at a conference held in Tallinn, Estonia, President Stubb stated, "President Trump is starting to become impatient, but I can say that it is happening in the right direction, toward Russia." He also predicted that, depending on the outcome of the scheduled U.S.-Russia leaders' call on the 19th, a strong additional sanctions bill against Russia being pushed by pro-Trump figures in the Republican Party, such as Senator Lindsey Graham, could gain rapid momentum in the U.S. Congress.
President Stubb added that he is in daily contact with Senator Graham by phone and other means, and that Graham's side has said the package would be 'bone-crushing' for Russia. The package, which enjoys bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate, includes provisions such as imposing a '500% tariff' on goods exported to the U.S. by countries that purchase Russian oil, natural gas, and uranium.
On the 17th, President Trump announced on his own social networking service, Truth Social, "On Monday (the 19th) at 10 a.m., I will have a phone call with Russia's Vladimir Putin." He stated, "The subject of the call will be ending the 'massacre' that kills more than 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers per week on average, as well as trade," and added, "After that, I will speak with Ukraine's (Volodymyr) Zelensky and several NATO member countries."
Meanwhile, President Putin carried out a drone strike on Ukraine on the 18th, a day before his scheduled phone call with President Trump, according to the New York Times and others. According to Ukrainian authorities, the bombing targeted mainly the capital, Kyiv. A total of 273 drones, including explosive drones and decoy drones, were detected in Ukrainian airspace. The attack reportedly resulted in the death of one civilian woman and several injuries.
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